The Aurora Lights evolved from the popular Northern Lights series with its large-sized bedrooms and open great room.  The home can accommodate large family holidays yet not feel too large for two on a daily basis. With more than half of the front porch screened, the large porch becomes a wonderful outdoor living area especially in milder weather. Eliminating a wrap-around porch increases light into the kitchen and front study. A separate garage allows north windows to be placed in the corner bedroom. The spacious foyer is close to the front study with its French doors which can serve as a home office.  The long wood stove-wall provides endless options for customizing the central hearth to fit the family and making the house a home.

The Aurora Lights evolved from the popular Northern Lights series with its large-sized bedrooms and open great room.  The home can accommodate large family holidays yet not feel too large for two on a daily basis. With more than half of the front porch screened, the large porch becomes a wonderful outdoor living area especially in milder weather.  Eliminating a wrap-around porch increases light into the kitchen and front study. A separate garage allows north windows to be placed in the corner bedroom. The spacious foyer is close to the front study with its French doors which can serve as a home office.  The long wood stove-wall provides endless options for customizing the central hearth to fit the family and making the house a home.

First Floor

The south living and dining are open and spacious and the kitchen is nearby these living areas yet not too far from the central laundry.  The east-facing kitchen window box admits morning sun while views to the south across the dining make the kitchen feel even larger than it is.  The east porch is large enough for both dining and relaxing.

The bedrooms on the other end of the home are still easy to reach and near the laundry.  One can even be opened up to the great room to allow for increased air flow. Bathroom three can be used by guests or workshop users as well as serve one of the bedrooms.

Daylight Ground Floor

It is hard to use “basement” to describe sunny rooms with full-sized windows so “ground floor” as used in Europe more accurately describes the light-filled lower level. A central set of stairs near the garage entry leads right up to the center of the main floor. The entire eastern half of the ground floor is living area and can easily house at least one more bedroom, large sized game room, a nice size bath and additional storage. Imagination is all it takes to come up with a handful of other options.  In summer, the doors between the two levels can be left open to aid in passive cooling.

Basement Garage

South-sloping land creates room for a large garage to be economically tucked underneath the house.  Not only is there space for three vehicle-sized doors, but ample room on the north side for storage, workshop and/or mechanical space.

Construction Info

The larger than average size rooms are balanced with 9’ tall ceilings on both floors.  A truss-framed roof allows for thick blown insulation for the ceiling.  12” thick ICF (insulated concrete form) walls add strength and a lot of thermal mass even with the 2” inside foam to help stabilize temperatures year-round.   Custom Energy Specs with construction orders will list several options for the particular climate where the house is to be built including options for stick framed and structural insulated panels.  Floors in the south-facing rooms on the first floor can be covered in tile while the basement south-facing rooms can also have stone or stained and polished concrete.

Modification Ideas

Since these ideas may affect energy performance and structural integrity, they should only be undertaken with professional assistance. 

- If the land will not accommodate a basement, build on a concrete slab foundation for cost savings.

- Change the walls to 12” stick-framed filled with blown insulation for greater R-values